Seeing the first images of extrasolar planets around a star is a stunning moment. I found out about this earlier in the week, and have had to keep quiet (along with all the other journalists) until the embargo passed, but feast your eyes on this.
Credit : Keck Observatory
The speckle pattern is what’s left of the star’s light – most of it has been blocked to allow us to see the three, faint dots which are believed to be planets. The arrows show the direction of motion, which brings me to my main point. Imagine this : in a decade or so, someone is going to take another snapshot of the same system. We’ll actually be able to watch planets circle their parent star. It’s a mindblowing thought – as fundamental, if you’ll forgive the late night hyperbole, as Galileo’s observations of Jupiter’s moons.
Chris Lintott’s Universe » Or a few hours. on November 14, 2008
[...] wrote yesterday about waiting a few years to watch the planets around HD 8799 move, and completely missed the fact that the Hubble Space Telescope has managed to do exactly this for [...]
Waveney on November 14, 2008
How do they know which way the planets are revolving around the star?
Maile on November 14, 2008
I just read an article detailing how some of the first lunar photos from 1966 and 1967 were re-discovered and are being restored. Supposedly the images (once refurbished with modern technology) are amazing, and NASA’s next lunar probe in the spring will be able to provide images to compare with the older ones. It will be interesting to see how the moon has changed in 40 odd years.
I know, we’re way beyond the moon at this point, but its always good to remember your roots and realize they still inspire awe.
NiteSkyGirl Blog on December 9, 2008
astronomical discoveries in planetary research is so fascinating !